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Between him, Ernesto, Paul, and Lorenzo, they managed to get the fire under control while I scrambled after Donahue, a heavy feeling in the center of my stomach.
Seeing the kind of damage my enemies were capable of is nothing new. Knowing how far they’re willing to go to get their point across is what’s unnerving.
I know what the Natoris and Philipses want, and I’m willing to give them scattered pieces of the city to shut them up, but it’s Remy that I worry about. Remy fucking Donahue is willing to burn down his own house just to take me with him. And there’s nothing more dangerous than a man who has nothing to lose.
And if the past few days have taught me anything, it’s that Remy is a man who believes he has nothing to lose. Sent to a remote corner of the country with a small legion of men at his behest, Remy isn’t the threat he thinks he is. However, with the support of the Natoris and Philipses fueling his rage, he’s a stray bullet.
One I want to avoid at all costs.
Once the room quiets down, I push away all thoughts of the man sitting to my left and sit up straighter. “Let’s get right down to business, shall we?”
Mathew Natori clears his throat. “We’re here to reaffirm our dedication to the truce.”
Floyd Philips lifts his chin up. “So are we.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Trouble in paradise? Last I heard the two of you were in league with Donahue.”
Remy Donahue lets out a low, humorless laugh. “That was until I realized what spineless and pathetic cowards they are. They aren’t dreaming big enough.”
I turn and face Remy directly, taking in the sharp lines of his face and the jagged scar running alongside his right eye. “I’m sure I’m going to regret asking.”
Remy slams his fists on the table hard enough to make it rattle. “I’m not going to stop until I’ve avenged my cousin.”
“Your cousin was stupid enough to go after Carter and his fiancée,” Mathew points out with a roll of his eyes. “Why is that any of our concern?”
“Because you didn’t see what he did to him,” Remy snaps, with an angry look at everyone gathered. “Rich had to hide for weeks to avoid the target on his back. A target Carter put there.”
A few uneasy looks are shared around the table.
“He knew what would happen if he went after me and my family,” I tell Remy with a lift of my chin. “What the fuck did he think was going to happen? He’s lucky I gave him a quick death because it’s more than what he and that bitch deserved.”
Remy pushes his chair back, and it falls with a loud thud. “You really do think you’re better than everyone else, don’t you? The great Carter Blackthorne, only you’re not really a Blackthorne, are you?”
I don’t break our gaze. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Except I can tell by the smug smirk on his face that he knows I’ve taken the bait.
Goddamn it. How the hell did he find out?
“You see, unlike Rich, I do my research myself.” Remy fastens a few buttons on his jacket and pushes himself from the table. “I like to look into my enemies before I go after them.”
“And do you like to hide in the shadows like your cousin did? You going to use a woman to get to me? Or are you man enough to come after me yourself?”
Remy’s expression darkens. “I don’t give a fuck what kind of truce the three of you sign because I’m not going to agree to it. I’m going to keep targeting the docks and any other business you own until I get what I want.”
Slowly, I rise to my feet and ignore the pounding in my ears. “I’m not a fucking mind reader, so either you like listening to the sound of your own voice, or you like the theatrics. Either way, I don’t have time for this.”
Because it’s clear that Remy, unlike the other two families, isn’t here to negotiate in good faith. He’s here to taunt and stall and get his cheap shots in, all in an effort to make himself feel better. And I’m not interested in playing his game, not when I have a truce to sign.
“You’re not even going to ask me what I want?”
“I don’t give a flying fuck. So, if you’re not here to negotiate, you can leave. I’ll deal with you later.”
Remy’s expression darkens further. “Excuse me?”
“Are you deaf or something? I said get the fuck out. This meeting is here for those who are going to take the truce seriously.”
And I don’t have time for whatever bullshit Remy is spewing. Not when I have a family to get back to.
